The Rodenmaars
by MissKavanagh
Summary: 3 old Sibunas are back at Anubis for the Autumn term. The newbies are settling in and Victor is back with more ambition than before. Is there one newbie with all the answers and clues Sibuna are looking for to stop Victor once and for all?
1. Chapter 1

"Please dad! We will only need a bed for one night and you haven't had a massive intake in Anubis House, Dexter told us!" Eddie pleaded, Fabian Patricia and Eddie were stood in Sweeties office trying to get extra credit for college by helping out at their old school.  
"Fine, yes ok Eddie enough! I give in. Do I have to sign anything or email anyone?" Mr Sweet put his glasses on. Fabian took a step forward.  
"Erm yeah, could you email Mr Osguthorpe please." He put a letter on Sweeties desk.  
"Ok thank you Fabian," there was a powerful knock at the door. "Right, yes, go and sort accommodation out with Trudy and I will come and see you later. You are dismissed, go."  
They opened the door to find Victor stood to the right. They ran past him without making eye contact and he went into Sweeties office slamming the door behind him.

"I hope you haven't filled my place Eric."  
"No, no I have left it for you like you asked."  
"Good, good."  
"Victor just tell me something, you said you were leaving with the touchstone, you haven't brought it back have you?"  
"Eric do you think I am a fool!" Sweetie sank in his chair. "The touchstone is back in King Tuts tomb, there is a trusted guide making sure it stays there."  
"Good, why did you want to return to Anubis house if your destiny is still being fulfilled?"  
"Eric, I found something greater than you can imagine there to be, something we have been looking for for almost 25 years, the book of Isis was right were the touchstone should have been."  
"Victor you haven't stolen it have you?"  
"Of course not! I traded it, they got the touchstone and we have the book of Isis, we can finally make the elixer and have eternal life like we planned."

"What are you three doing back?" Trudy walked out of the kitchen and hugged everyone of them.  
"We need some extra credit, like work experience if you like, for college and Sweetie said we could come back here and help with the school and Anubis for 1 day a week, if it's ok with you Trudy." Patricia said eyeing Cassie who was sat at the table staring dreamily at Eddie.  
"Of course it is my lovelies, we have the exact number of beds left as well, there has been a really low intake of boarding students this year."  
"Yeah Dexter told us." They all began talking and a girl walked in from the hall. She was fair skinned and had midnight black hair. Fabian watched her walk in and sit on the sofa next to Erin. He recognised her but was failing to put name to face and face to where he had seen her before.


	2. Chapter 2

'I swear he recognised me but I don't know him, dad said I had a brother but ... oh I don't know', she sat on her bed reading the last of the 4 letters her dad had sent her before he went missing.  
A knock at the door brought her back to reality and she quickly hid the letter in the open suitcase in front of her.  
A girl stood holding the door open for a boy carrying 3 suitcases that looked heavy.  
"Sorry we didn't mean to disturb you, I'm Patricia your roomie."  
"It's fine, I'm Layla." She replied looking at the boy in the doorway. They were both older than her, perhaps two or three years older, but they were both warm and friendly so she could ask them later.  
"Where so you want these Yacker, they're heavy!"  
"Just put the on my bed Eddie and stop moaning, Fabian will have finished unpacking by the time you've done messing around!" She winked at Layla and they both laughed.  
'So he was Fabian, the boy who had looked at her in the living room. I wonder if his mum has told him about Victor and our dad or if she has kept quiet. I'm going to have to get to know him or I will have failed dad, Fabian and Victor!'  
She was shook back to reality by the closing of the door.  
"Are you alright?"  
"Yeah, sorry, I was thinking." She zipped up the suitcase containing the letters and put it under her bed.  
"Ahh right, sorry, you weren't here last term where you, it was just Cassie, Erin and Dexter yeah?"  
"Yeah me and Lewis are new. Would you like some help unpacking?"  
"Yeah please, why did you decide to come here?" Layla hesitated for a second. "Sorry I'm an ex-student and just wanted to see how the schools been trying to attract new students."  
"Oh no it's ok, my mums neighbourhood wasn't very safe so my dad wrote to her saying I should come here because I have a half-sibling here." As soon as she had said it she almost kicked herself. Her dad had written that she was to complete the task in secret and not get anyone involved.  
"Oh right, you make it sound like you've never met your dad or our sibling?"  
"I haven't, I've always lived with my mum and only recently has my dad started writing to me. It's complicated really." She walked from the wardrobe and pulled the suitcase out from under the bed, she got out the letter about Fabian and handed it to Patricia.  
Knock, Knock! Layla opened the door whilst Patricia carried on reading the letter.  
"Sorry, Trudy says dinner will be on the table in 5." Dexter said picking his head around the door.  
"Okay we'll be down in a min."  
"Are you okay?" Dexter lowered his voice and spoke to Layla.  
"Yeah I'm fine I'm just tired. Patricia's just reading this and we'll be down." She have Dexter a smile before looking back to Patricia.  
Dexter shut the door and Patricia looked at Layla.  
"So your dad had Fabian with his mum and left and then had you with your mum and left again. Why? And what's this about the task?"  
Layla took the letter back. "Oh, that's nothing and he's very complicated. Come on." She put the letter under her duvet and went down to dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ok who's on chores today?" Trudy said picking up her and dexters plate and putting then on the hatch.  
"Ill do them Trudy" Layla said pilling up Dexter's, Cassie's and her empty plates.  
"You did them yesterday, sit down. Patricia and Fabian can do them, Eddie can you go and give this to Victor, it came whilst he was out."  
"Yeah sure." He grabbed the parcel and walked out the room. Layla shot Patricia the 'don't do anything stupid' look and went up to their room.  
Everyone else left the table whilst Fabian and Patricia started washing and drying the pots.  
"Do you have any siblings Fabian?" Patricia was going to find out whether Layla liked it or not.  
He stopped.  
"Not that I know of. What's with the question?" He tried to keep his 'cool'.  
"What about half-siblings?" She couldn't stop now, her and Piper hadn't been the best of friends but she had come to realise they needed each other. Layla doesn't know Fabian but she does, therefore she should reunite them. She smiled as she cleaned the cup.  
"Do you know something Patricia?"  
"You have a younger sister don't you?"  
"What are you talking about?" He started to raise his voice but gritted his teeth so no one else heard him.  
"I've met her, she had letters from your real dad Fabian."  
"Patricia I don't know what you are talking about. I'm done goodbye." He threw down the towel and walked out the room almost bumping into Layla.  
"Fabian! Ugh." Patricia called after him.  
"What did you say to him?" An undertone of anger was in her voice.  
"Don't worry I didn't tell him it was you! But he defiantly knows he has a sibling I could tell, he's probably just a little confused." Patricia said putting the last of the plates back in the cupboard.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well he's always been told his mums husband was his real dad but he isn't, I just don't know how he knows. We're going to do some searching tonight come on."  
"What?" Layla ran after Patricia as they raced upstairs.  
"Walk please!" Victor emerged from his office. Patricia walked through the door whilst Victor and Layla stared at each other awkwardly.  
"Sorry Victor." She said following in Patricia's footsteps.

That night after Victor had done lights out and returned to his office, Patricia and Layla headed downstairs to Fabian and Eddies room.  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Layla whispered as the entered the boys corridor.  
"Yes, we need to find something to 'jog his memory' if you like. We won't get caught trust me I've done this loads of time with Sibuna!"  
"What's Sibuna?"  
"I'll tell you in the morning. Come on!" Patricia opened the bedroom door. "Awww look at weasel sleeping." She said looking over at Eddie.  
"I'm not asleep." His eyes were still closed but he spoke and scared the girls.  
"Why?"  
"Because I'm not, now what are you two doing in here?" He emerged from his bed.  
"Can I tell him Layla, I promise it will just be between us four no one else." Layla nodded and looked over at Fabian to make sure he was fast asleep. Yep.  
"Layla is Fabian's half sister through their dad. He won't admit it so were trying to see if their dad has sent him a letter as well, like the ones he sent Layla. Now get up and help."  
Eddie got out of bed and pulled Patricia to him.  
"Why did you tell her about Sibuna?" He whispered in her ear.  
"Because I can!" She said and looked over at Layla who was quietly searching through Fabians school bag.  
"She could be tricking you, you know. How can you trust her."  
"Eddie I can, her dad has wrote her letters explaining everything."  
"What if she wrote them?"  
"Eddie pack it in okay, I can trust her I know I can. Now look!"  
He let go of the grasp he had on Patricia and sat on his bed.  
"Try his draw, he was reading a piece of paper when I came in and stuffed it in there."  
Layla opened the draw and sure enough there was a letter. She opened it up and read.  
"It's defiantly from our dad but he didn't put my name in it. He put Fabian's name in mine?" Patricia took the letter and read it too.  
"Right come on, back to bed before Victor gets us." She folded the piece of paper and tucked it into her pj bottoms.  
"You can't steal it!"  
"We'll give it him back tomorrow Eddie stop fretting. Night, love you." Her words trailed as she closed the door on him. They ran back to bed and got to work on what to do next.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sorry Fabian!" Patricia had pushed her into him and she dropped both letters purposefully. She bent down to pick them up. Hers had a little pencil line on the back so it was easy to identify.  
"Here, you dropped this," she handed him hers and put Fabians in her school bag. "Sorry again."  
"Thanks, and that's ok, I saw Patricia being...well Patrcia." He smiled at her and sat down on the sofa.  
He hadn't touched his letter that morning, it was still in his draw as far as he knew. Patricia and Layla were in the hall and Trudy was in the kitchen, everyone else had headed of to school so he opened it to read.  
"Will there be a meeting this term or are you finished with Sibuna stuff?" That morning, as promised, Patricia had told Layla about the group and some of the quests they had had to do.  
"I'll ask Eddie later, maybe we could help you with your quest." She hinted. Layla had still not told anyone about the other letters or the quest, she wanted the Fabian stuff out the way before starting anything else.  
"Layla, this isn't m..." He stood in the living room doorway staring at the letter. "What? This can't..." Layla and Patricia stood in silence watching as he read the sentence over and over again.  
"Fabian..." Layla began.  
"Fabian come on, I'll explain everything on the way to college."  
"Yes you'd better be going or you'll be late, all of you go." Patricia looked up behind her at the imposing man looking over the stairs.  
"Sorry Victor were leaving now." Patricia grabbed both of them by the arms and dragged them out.

'Excellent, now all the troublemakers have gone I can read through the book without the fear of one of them stealing it' Victor thought as he walked back into his office. He sat down on his chair and opened the Book of Isis. He turned each page so delicately until he got to the page he had been wanting all his life.  
"Corbierre those brats cannot find this book, I have finally got it into my possession they cannot sot me this time." He started to read when Trudy opened the door.  
"Sorry Victor but there's a problem with the heating at the school, Mr Sweet wanted you to go over."  
"Okay, thank you Trudy." He wrapped the book up and put it into the safe before closing the blinds and locking the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"Last question, this ones for Layla, what is the cube root of x?" Mrs Witherton asked, the maths teacher. It was the last lesson before dinner and everyone wanted to get out.  
"3." She replied quickly as her phone vibrated silently in her pocket.  
"Okay you are all dismissed."  
Everyone ran out the door hurrying to the canteen. Layla stood near the lockers and looked at her phone. 'Meet me in my room at Anubis in 5 minutes, Fabian' she saved his number in her phone and looked around her. Victor and Sweetie were arguing about something in the office so she walked quickly to the house hoping Victor wouldn't catch her if he came out.

She opened the front door quietly, hopefully Trudy was in her room or upstairs. She tiptoed to Fabians room and opened the door, trying not to make a sound.  
"Hi." Fabian was sat on his bed staring at the two letter, his and hers. "Hey." She sat on Eddie's bed and put her bag on the floor, they were both silent for a minute. "Look Fabian, I didn't..."  
"It's ok, I just needed some time to adjust." He smiled at her and she nodded in agreement. "I'm shocked that I found you so soon." He went and sat next to her.  
"Are you mad at all of this? At me?"  
"No no of course not. Layla I'm glad your my sister I really am and I want to be a proper brother to you. I'm mad that my mum never told me and made me think my stepdad was my real dad." He hugged Layla around the shoulder as he spoke.  
"Maybe she thought it would be easier to keep you from the truth as she didn't know if she would hear from dad again."  
"Perhaps. I was so angry at her..."  
"Just give her a phonecall or go and see her tomorrow. She can't be mad at you."  
"I'll have to go Sunday, Eddie wants all of Sibuna here for a meeting at 11. Oh no...I shouldn't have said that."  
"It's ok, I know quite a bit about your secret group. Patricia said you could help me with the task."  
The front door slammed shut.  
"That'll be Victor, and he won't be in a good mood." Layla whispered.  
They sat in silence as the footsteps up the stairs faded.  
"I'm going to have to go in a minute, it's a good job I brought this." He held up a text book. "Lesson one from your big brother, always have a back up plan."  
They both laughed quietly.  
"Layla can you tell Dexter, Cassie and Erin about the meeting please?"  
"Yeah sure." They both stood and picked up their bags.  
"Here, you can have this back." He handed her her letter.  
"Thanks but maybe you should hold onto that and this one."  
She went into her bag and pulled out another letter. "I have four, this one is about the task." Fabian took it.  
"Don't open it until you are well away from Anubis, Victor cannot know about any of this. The letters, the task, you."  
"Okay, I'll text you as soon as I pull up, then we can talk more." He put the letters inside his text book. "Wait here for a few seconds, don't want to risk us both getting caught." He opened the door and they smiled at each other. "Bye" he whispered.

Fabian walked through the hall. "Me Rutter what are you doing here?" Victor called from the landing.  
"Sorry Victor I forgot my text book and I need it for after lunch." He replied holding up the book.  
"Be more organised next time. Off you go." Fabian shut the door behind him as Layla peeped from his room.  
She shut it quietly behind her and headed into the kitchen to make a quick lunch. 'Back up plan' she thought. She grabbed some bread and folded it like a sandwich putting it in a Lock 'nd Lock box. She took a breath if relief and headed for the door.  
"Miss Daniels, why are you not in school?" Victor was walking down the stairs with a book in his hand.  
"I forgot my lunch Victor, sorry."  
"You'd better hurry up, lunch is nearly over."  
She nodded and ran back to the school.  
"Trudy?"  
"Yes Victor." She emerged from the doors at the bottom of stairs with the hoover.  
"Did you know those two were here."  
"Who?"  
"Miss Daniels and Mr Rutter."  
"No, but they won't have done any damage Victor, they're good kids."  
"Yes well, make sure next time you know who is in the house at lunch. I'm off out to do an errand, I'll be back before supper."  
"Oh, okay." Trudy replied as Victor walked past her and out the house.

"Miss, can I go to toilet really quick?" Cassie asked as she walked into History class.  
"Be quick please." Cassie dropped her bags next to Lewis and ran to the toilets.  
As she was washing her hands she heard Sweeite and Victor talking. She took of tile that hid the peephole into the office.  
"I don't see why you want the book Victor."  
"The book of Isis holds the ingredients for elixer of life. If we can keep it away from those brats we can have another shot at eternal life!"  
Eric put his head in his hands. "Victor in order to do that we will have to wait another 20 years at least, I don't have that lo..."  
"What if there is another way!" He slammed his hands on the desk shaking Mr Sweet."You keep the book in the safe here and I will do my research. We will have eternal life Eric." He left the book on the desk and opened the door. "We will." He slammed the door whilst Eric rubbed his forehead. He picked up the book and placed it in the safe. Cassie tried to look for the combination to open the safe but she couldn't see.  
As Mr Sweet walked near the bookcase Cassie remembered where she was.  
"Shoot." She ran back to the classroom. 'Miss is not going to be happy.'  
"Sorry miss." She sat down quickly, luckily the lesson hadn't started yet because of technical difficulties.  
She looked around the room.  
"What are you looking for?" Lewis whispered.  
"Where's Dexter and Erin?"  
"They've been moved to the other class because this ones too big."  
"Typical."  
"Why?"  
"It doesn't matter." 'I need to speak to them ASAP.' She thought. She looked at clock above the whiteboard, 45 minutes till the end of the lesson. 'Please let this lesson go quick.'

"Are you alright Layla?" Erin, Lewis, Dexter and Layla were sat at the table working on the maths homework.  
"Yeah, my stomachs just a bit of." She replied to Dexter, who was sat next to her.  
"Ahh." He got up and squeezed her around the shoulders.  
"Dexter get off her, for goodness sake, you act like a ten year old!" Erin scolded. "You ok Lay? There's some tablets in the far cupboard."  
"Yeah, I'm ok it'll go off soon, thanks though."  
"No pr..."  
"Erin, Dexter I need to speak to you now!" Cassie burst through the living room doors out of breath.  
"Where have you been?" Erin asked alarmed. They had all been back from school for half an hour and Cassie hadn't come back to the house.  
"Miss kept me behind to help her with something. Come over here both of you." She sank into the chair.

"What?" Dexter asked.  
"Victor has the book of Isis and is planning on getting eternal life again." Cassie whispered.

"Did you get 43 for 5e?" Lewis asked, oblivious to the conversation.  
"Layla?"  
"Sorry, erm, yeah I did." She was listening into the conversation as best she could without it being invidious. Her dad had wrote about the book in the letter she had given to Fabian a few hours ago.  
"Victor left it with Sweetie in the office safe to keep it from us."  
"How do you know this Cassie?" Erin asked.  
"I was eavesdropping after i had been to the loo through the peephole. Look we need to tell Eddie."  
"We can't until they get back." Dexter replied getting up.  
"I know. Don't either of you have his number?"  
"Nope they wouldn't give it to us because of you remember!" Erin scolded getting up and following Dexter back to the table.  
"Don't walk away from me!" Cassie said following them. "What are you all doing?"  
"Maths homework, the things you don't understand." Dexter joked.  
"Don't undermine me!" She shrieked.  
"I'm done." Lewis said.  
"Finished!"  
"Yes Cassie. I have finished." They all laughed at the joke as Lewis went to his room. Cassie got out her books and started on the work.  
"Erm, Fabian text me earlier saying there was a meeting in his room at about 11 when they have all got back from college. Something about Sibuna."  
"Ohh get you, having Fabians number. Do you like him?"  
"Cassie!"  
"It's not like that, you'll see tomorrow."  
"Are you joining?" Dexter asked. "You could replace Cassie!"  
"I'm getting very cheesed off at you all making fun of me. Stop it."  
"Sorry Cassie." He turned his attention back to Layla.  
"I don't know yet, Fabian says he has to speak to Eddie."  
"Thank you." Erin said.  
"Who's going to help cook tonight?" Trudy walked in from the kitchen making them all jump.  
"I will." Dexter said putting away his books.  
'All I have to do now is talk to Fabian and start the task' she thought.

**I apologise if Victor already knows the ingredients for the elixer but let's pretend he doesn't just for the purpose of this fanfic. Thank you for reading and please leave a review x **


	6. Chapter 6

"Fabian!" Layla hissed. She was stood at the side of the house trying to get Fabian's attention. He turned from the others and made a hand signal for her to wait a minute.

"Are you coming Fabian?" Eddie asked as he opened the door to Anubis.  
"Yeah one minute, I need to call my mum." Eddie and Patricia went inside and Fabian ran round the corner to Layla.  
"Have you had chance to read the letters?"  
"Yeah and I think I know where we need to start!"  
"What? Where?"  
"Come on, I'll tell all of Sibuna at once."  
"Wait, I'm not in Sibuna!" Layla replied grabbing Fabians arm as he began to walk back to the front of the house.  
" You are though, I asked Eddie and he said you might as well be."  
"What do you mean? Did you tell him about the letters?"  
"No no no, I spoke to Eddie about how hard it was last year keeping the non-Sibunas in the dark. We agreed that you and Lewis could join if we find a task." They laughed. "Come on."

They headed into Eddie and Fabians room to find everyone staring at them.  
"Ooooh." Cassie broke the ice.  
"Cassie don't be mean."  
Fabian checked no one was in the hall and shut the door. "It's not what you think."  
"Oh. Then why are you two always together?" Cassie asked.  
"You can't tell anyone, promise!" Everyone nodded. "Layla's my sister."  
"Why can't you tell people?" Lewis asked.  
"Because..."  
"Just because! Look why are we all here?" Layla piped up turning to Eddie.  
"Well I just wanted to say hello to everyone again, you know properly."  
"So nothing about Sibuna?" Cassie remarked.  
"Well yeah, but we need a mystery to get Sibuna going again."  
"Well I heard Sweetie and Victor talking about the Book of Isis in Sweeties office the other day. Victor has it and put it in the school safe."  
"Well, ok then. Did he say what he wanted to do with it?" Patricia asked.  
"Victor said something about another shot at the Elixer of Life?"  
"Well we need to get the book off him, he cannot be allowed to make the elixer." Dexter said.  
"We don't need to book, besides it doesn't have the whole list of ingredients in. Let him think he has the upper hand and we are less likely to get caught." Fabian said holding the letter.  
"What are you talking about?" Eddie asked.  
"The letters! Layla did your dad tell you what the ingredients were?" Patricia realised.  
"No but he said the Frobisher-Smythes had ripped the bottom ingredient off and placed the piece of paper in a box somewhere."  
"In the tunnels." Fabian read down the beginning letters of each line. "That's where the box is! In the tunnels."  
"What?" Layla took the letter and looked for herself.  
"How are we going to find a small box in those tunnels Fabian. It'll take weeks. What if we find more that we didn't know about." Patricia raised the point.  
"I don't know but Sibuna is bigger than it was, more people less time."  
"Yay!" Cassie jumped up. "When can we go and look?"  
"How about tonight?" Eddie asked.  
"Perfect."  
"Sibuna!" They all put their hand over their eyes and left the room.

"I can't find anything Fabian!" Dexter complained.  
"You, Cassie and Erin go and look round that corner." Eddie pointed to the end of the corridor as the three of them went.  
"Are you ok Layla?" Fabian had turned to his sister. The colour had drained from her face and she looked weak.  
"I'm fin..." Fabian grabbed her as she fell.  
"Come on your going to bed. Patricia can you..."  
"Yep." They put her arms around their shoulders.  
"Guys, come on we all may as well go up, Victor will be back soon." Eddie called hinting at Lewis for the time. 12:15am.

"You are staying here." Fabian said putting his hand on her arm.  
"I said I would go with you to see your mum. Please Fabian."  
"You did promise her you'd take her to see that movie fabes." Patricia piped up as she finished a text.  
"Don't you remember what happened last night? You fainted. You are staying to sleep."  
"Fabian I am fine. I have rested and it's 9 o'clock please. I'm coming." She replied getting out of bed. "Give me 5 minutes."

"I'll stay here." Layla said as she hugged Fabian. He walked up the path to his front door. He'd never really felt guilt before but it fell on him pretty hard. He didn't want to be mad at his mum anymore.  
"Fabian!" She flung her arms around her son. "I thought you'd never speak to me again. I know it was wrong of me but ..."  
"Mum it's ok. I understand and I forgive you here." He handed her a box of chocolates. "Your favourite."  
She invited him but he only stayed for five minutes whilst Layla waited on the pavement.  
The postman came and put a newspaper and letters in the mail box. She took out the newspaper and stared in shock at the front page.  
'Mysterious death at Egyptian pyramids' she read on. A man had been accused of taking the book of Isis and killed by a curse just outside the entrance. There was a picture of the victim in the corner. She seemed to recognise him. His face. His eyes. Dad!  
The door shut as she finished reading the article.  
"He was accused of stealing the book, Victor killed him blaming it on a curse and he died without even knowing who we truly were."  
"What?" Fabian asked as he closed the gate behind him. She lifted the newspaper above her head and he took it and sat next to her.  
"Oh my god. He's turning into a monster." He took a photo of the front page and put the paper back in the mail box. "Come on. We need to stop Victor to finish what out dad started." He pulled her up. "But first it's McDonalds and a movie. Brother and sister style." He tried to push what he had just read to the back of his mind but he couldn't. He saw in Layla's face how much he meant to her and he felt it too, even though they had never met there was a connection. "Dad wanted us to get to know each other and hang out and that's what we are going to do."

**What do you think? Is it still a bit boring? I'm trying to add hints into what's going to happen to Layla like the big plot twist and stuff but this is important too. For example why did she faint and why did she have stomach ache? Please review thank you xx**


	7. Chapter 7

A loud bang of the front door awoke her. A heavy hand fell on her phone as she looked for the time. 12:15am. 'Why was 12:15 haunting me?'She tried to get back to sleep but she was wide awake now. She walked to the upstairs landing and opened the door quietly. Victor wasn't in his office. 'Maybe he's in the cellar.' She tried the door to the cellar, he usually leaves it unlocked when he is down there. Nope locked. She walked into the kitchen hoping the bang didn't wake Trudy. 'He must have gone out and the closing of the front door awoke me' she thought.

As she sipped a glass of cold water she stared at the oven door. Victor was out. A clear way through the cellar and into the tunnels. She poured the remainder of the water into the sink and ran into Fabian's room.  
"Fabian, I need my amulet and the necklace to get into the cellar! Now." She said switching on his lamp.  
"What? Why are you down here? Didn't Victor see you?" He said rubbing his eyes as he sat up.  
"He's gone out. Please Fabian I know where the box is, I just need to go down and fetch it and come straight back."  
"What do you mean you know where it is?"  
"Well I don't know to be sure but I had a dream and the tunnel we were in the other night was there constantly. I think it's a sign."  
"Layla we'll all go tomorrow. Everyone's asleep and you can't go down alone especially after last time. Go back to bed."  
"Fabian if I go down now there will be no need for then to go down, please."  
"No, bed." With that he turned off his bedside light and she left.  
She only stood outside the door and waited until he was snoring again. Tiptoeing back into the bedroom she noticed Eddie was not in his bed. 'Great how am I going to open the door', she grabbed her amulet from Fabians top draw and Nina's locket, it was worth a shot. It usually only worked for Eddie and the Nina girl it belonged to but she hoped it would work for her just this once. She shut the door and went into the kitchen.  
It was most likely not gong to work for her if it didn't work for Fabian and the others. Placing the locket on the plaque she almost jumped when it opened. In amazement she went down to the tunnels.

It was cold and lonely in the black tunnels but she remembered the way and looked for the box.  
"Edison we have to do this if we are to achieve what we set out to do."  
"And what is it that we set out to do, because you haven't yet told me."  
"The elixer of life can be made again Edison, we just need a sacrifice, you and Nina. If the chosen one and the osirian work together to make the elixer under a full moon we can have eternal life!"  
"Victor you're forgetting something, I'm not the osirian anymore and Nina is in America. Why would you risk everything just to have eternal life." Victor wasn't listening, he had gone and stood next to the poor woman's bed. "Victor come on there had to be another wa..."  
The screams echoed around Layla like ghosts. She had heard the conversation, why, why had she and who was the woman. She started to go faint again but caught sight of a funny looking brick. She struggled over to it as she lost strength. Another scream shocked her and she grabbed the brick. She realised it was the box and opened it quickly grabbing the paper and putting the box back before she collapsed.

"Fabian, Fabian get up!" Patricia shook him eventually pulling the covers from him.  
"What?"  
"Layla's gone and Eddies not in his bed."  
"What! I told her not to go down there, what does Eddie think he's playing at taking her down..." As he hurried out of bed Eddie opened the bedroom door.  
"What have I supposedly done?" He closed the door.  
"You haven't taken Layla into the tunnels?"  
"No I've been ..."  
"Oh great! Where are the amulets? And Nina's locket?"  
"How could she get into the tunnels? She isn't the chosen one or the osirian it shouldn't work!" Patricia pointed out.  
"I don't know come on." He and Patricia headed for the door.  
"You too weasel!" She said as Eddie started getting into bed.  
"This is your fault so you're going to fix it!" She grabbed him and the ran into the kitchen.  
"The doors been opened, come on!"  
"Patricia how is this my fault?"  
"If you had kept Nina's locket with you at all times like she told you to, Layla wouldn't have been able to get down."  
"Why are you fussing over her, she'll be fine down there."  
"Do you not remember what happened last time..."  
"Shhh I thought I heard something." Fabian prevented the argument from going any further.  
"Where will she be? These tunnels could go on for miles." Patricia said concerned.  
"She'll be where we went the other day." Eddie complained.

"Layla!" Fabian screamed. "Eddie she's as cold as ice we need to get her upstairs now!"  
"Eddie help! Come on." Patricia screamed at Eddie as she helped Fabian pick Layla up.  
"It's ok I've got her." Fabian said. Eddie rolled his eyes and ran on ahead.  
"Edison get back here!" Patricia yelled.

"You cold, spineless little sap! What's happened to you?" Patricia slapped him.  
"What are you talking about? I went ahead to make sure Victor wasn't in the cellar or in here."  
"Eddie can you close the door please." Fabian pleaded as he placed his hand on her forehead. Freezing. "What do we do?"  
"Come on let's get her into a bed. Se might be better off in one of yours because of getting past..."  
"What is going on in here?" Victor bellowed from behind them.  
"Him." Patricia said turning round.  
"She said she didn't feel well so we came down to get some water and she collapsed. Victor she's as cold as ice."  
"Move out the way." Victor knelt down and put his hand on her forehead as Fabian held her. "Right give her to me. What were you boys doing in here?"  
"I was in here getting a drink when they came in."  
"Miller?" He asked steadying himself as he stood up with her.  
"I heard a commotion in here and came to have a look."  
"Right you boys back to bed. Patricia when we get upstairs grab a flannel, wet it with warm water and bring it to me." They walked into the hall and Patricia headed first up the stairs. "Mr Rutter fetch me some blankets for her."  
"Victor will she be ok?"  
"If you go get them blankets."


	8. Chapter 8

"Victor?" Patricia had opened the door to him stood there.

"Is she still asleep?" He entered walking straight over to her holding her alarm clock. He had taken it out when he brought her upstairs so it would not wake her.  
"Why did you steal her alarm clock?"  
"So she could sleep and rest." He placed his hand on her forehead. "Her temperatures coming down."  
"You aren't thinking of sending her to school now are you?"  
"No, no she needs rest Patricia. But you on the other hand should really be going." He held the door open for her and they walked into the hall.  
"She will be ok, won't she?"  
"Trudy and I shall look after her, she'll be fine." Victor replied as Patricia started to walk down the stairs.

"Mum!" Layla shot up. Her eyes open sharp from the nightmare, her head spinning she looked at her phone. 8:58! Shit!  
As she pulled the covers off her to get ready Trudy walked through the door carrying a tray.  
"Trudy why didn't you wake me." She asked looking through her wardrobe. Trudy placed the tray on the dressing table and walked over to Layla placing her hands on her shoulder.  
"From what Victor told me you gave them all quite a scare last night. Come on, rest will do you good."  
"I need to go to school Trudy."  
"Look Victor is very worried about you, he's gone to tell Sweetie and explain the situation. I've brought you breakfast."  
As Layla got back in bed Trudy picked the tray back up and gave it to her.  
"Victor has never let anyone eat in their rooms even if their ill, I'd make the most of it if I were you."  
They both giggled as Victor walked into the room.  
"How are you feeling miss Daniels?"  
"Like I should be in school Victor." She replied and sipped the orange juice.  
"Mr Sweet and I think it will be best for you if you take the rest of the week off. He will be sending you the work for you to do when you feel like it, providing it is done by Monday."  
"Okay."  
Victor signalled to Trudy who left the room quickly.  
"Do you remember what happened last night Layla?"  
"I fainted and you brought me up here."  
"Why did you faint?"  
"I was tired, thirsty I don't know."  
"Layla I think we both know why."  
"Well if you know why, then just leave it." She raised her voice, laid down in bed on her side and faced the wall.  
"I'm here to protect you."  
"Go away Victor." She ordered as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
As he opened the door she spoke again. "And Victor. I know what you and Eddie did last night." With that he shut the door and stormed off down the hall to his office.

"We need to speak to her sir."  
"She is ill I'm sorry but she is not to be disturbed, doctors orders."  
Victor was stood in the hall arguing with two police men.  
"Mr Rodenmaar, it is vital to the investigation that Miss Daniels is informed and questioned."  
"Questioning me?" Layla spoke emerging from the shadows.  
"Miss Daniels?"  
"No no that is..."  
"Yes that's me, Layla Daniels." She interrupted staring at Victor.  
"I'm afraid we have some grave news your ..."  
"My mothers dead isn't she." She said walking down the stairs.  
"I'm sorry. We just need to ask you a few questions can we go in here?" The first officer asked.  
"I'll put the kettle on." Victor said heading to the kitchen.  
"How did you know your mother had died Layla?" The second officer asked as they sat down. The officers on the sofa and Layla sat in the chair.  
"My neighbour text me this morning saying police and ambulances where outside my house."  
"Can we read the conversation please."  
"Yeah, it's starts from here." She handed them her phone and put the blanket that was laid on the arm of the chair around her shoulders.  
"Ok I see. Why are you not at school?"  
"I..."  
"She gave me and some fellow students a scare last night around midnight."  
"I woke up and felt dizzy, so I went downstairs to get a drink and fainted."  
"She was ice cold and didn't regain her temperature until a few hours ago." Victor added coming from the kitchen with two drinks.  
"Had she been outside? Or spoken to anyone before fainting?"  
"No, my office is at the top of the stairs and I can see the front door from there. I questioned her on why she was out of bed and went downstairs with her to make sure she was ok. The next thing I know she fainted and three of the older students where still awake and came to see what had gone off. All doors had been locked and unopened from 9 o'clock that night. No one got in no one got out."  
"Thank you mr Rodenmaar. Layla do you know of anyone who would want to hurt your mother? Or any reason why she would commit suicide?"  
"She never really bonded with anyone, never had any friends or boyfriends. She was very depressed after my dad left and never really recovered."  
"And where is your father?"  
"He died a couple of months after he left." She lied.  
"So we can rule the father out." One of the officers whispered.  
"Would you say this was a suicidal act?"  
"Miss Daniels has just been told her mother has died, can't you let her grieve a bit before questioning her on how she died?" Victor interrupted.  
"It's ok Victor! Yes, she was always telling me how depressed she was and my neighbour rang me the day after I had arrived here. She said it was a good thing she had sent me here as mum had gone even more downhill and had started speaking of suicide. She refused treatment and doctors help, there was nothing I could have done to prevent it" She said clearing her voice.  
"Thank you miss Daniels." Layla looked at Victor.  
"Sorry, excuse me." She said stripping the blanket from her and running upstairs.  
"Ok I think we have everything we need to call this a suicidal act. All the evidence is here. Thank you Mr Rodenmaar. If Layla wishes to retrieve her stuff or allow you to she is welcome to. I don't think Layla will hear anything if this investigation again."

After they had left Victor went up to see Layla.  
"Why did you lie to them if you knew it was me?" He said looking at the young girl who had just been orphaned by him.  
"Because your the only family I have left. You are it. Everything I have lies with you now and if you go to prison I have no one at all."  
"What about your sibling here?"  
"I don't know who they are Victor and I doubt they'll care. Where's Trudy?"  
"She went shopping whilst you were asleep."  
"So you didn't kill her then for your sacrifice."  
"What are you talking about."  
"Victor I heard you talking before I fainted. It was like I was there but I couldn't see you I could just here your voices in my head and then I heard my mum scream and I dropped."  
"Look Layla, I'm really sorry." He said walking towards her bed. She turned to face the wall and he retreated to standing next to Patricia's bed. "Your mum rang me and told me everything. About your father, your secret..." He said trying to change the subject.  
"You say nothing about it to anyone do you hear! You seem cursed when you speak of the Elixer of Life and you murdered two innocent people. You don't need the Elixer but I needed my mum and you took her away!" Layla's voice trailed off. Something had changed in her. She was angry and aggressive yet protective at the same time.  
"Huhmmm" he cleared his throat and headed for the door. "I shall go to the house and get what I can for you, you can keep it in the attic." He said as he shut the door.  
She laid down and cried once more, placing her hand on her stomach.

**so what do you think the next bits may be controversial and some may not like it but please read review and share **


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